Andre Perry

Alumni speaker

Title of Talk: The High Stakes of National Education Policy

Time and Location: Oct. 30th, 4:30 p.m., Tillotson Room

Co-sponsored by Allegheny’s Center for Political Participation (CPP)

Biography: Andre Perry is the Associate Director for Educational Initiatives for Loyola Loyola Institute for Quality and Equity in Education. Dr. Perry creates academic and enrichment opportunities for Loyola University as well as for primary and secondary students in the metro area. Prior to, he served as the CEO of the Capital One-University of New Orleans Charter Network, which was comprised of four charter schools in New Orleans. In 2010, Perry served on Mayor-Elect Mitch Landrieu’s Transition Team as the co-chair of the Education Taskforce.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Perry earned his Ph.D. in education policy and leadership from the University of Maryland College Park. His research and teaching interests are college access and retention, charter schools and immigrant educational rights. In 2011, UNO Press released his book, The Garden Path: The Miseducation of the City. Perry used non-fiction narrative to illustrate the real life tensions involved in post-Katrina education reform in New Orleans.

Perry’s scholarship focuses education reform and the impact of education policy on community wellness. Perry co-authored the chapter Resilience and Opportunity: Lessons from the U.S. Gulf Coast after Katrina and Rita published on Brookings Institution Press. He also co-authored the chapter Between Public and Private: Politics, Governance, and the New Portfolio Models for Urban School Reform published on Harvard University Press. Along with the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Perry co-authored the report, PLACE MATTERS for Health in Orleans Parish: Ensuring Opportunities for Good Health for All.

As a public intellectual, he advocates for quality public education. Perry’s views, opinions and educational leadership have been featured on National Public Radio, The New Republic and CNN. Perry contributed to the CNN special Bullying: No Escape hosted by Anderson Cooper. He has also been a guest on Roland Martin’s Washington Watch on TVOne, Jane Velez-Mitchell on HLN as well as numerous appearances on the CBS, Fox and NBC affiliates in New Orleans.

Through his weekly newspaper column in The Louisiana Weekly, Perry provides political commentary on municipal governments and K-16 leadership and governance in Louisiana. He can be heard weekly on WWNO 89.9-FM during NPR’s “All Things Considered.”

Perry has spoken at numerous national events including: The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference, Essence Festival, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and the National Urban League Annual Conference.

In 2008 he was selected as an Effective Leaders Fellow by Duke University’s Center for Leadership and Public Values. Fully immersed in the city’s recovery efforts, Perry also serves on the boards of the Urban League of Greater New Orleans, WYES Public Television, WWNO-FM, and Young Audiences-Arts for Learning. His community-based efforts have earned him accolades and acclaim. Andre Perry received the Kappa Alpha Psi Distinguished Citizen Award in 2011. He also received St. Charles Avenue Magazine’s 2008 Unsung Hero of the Year Award. He was also selected by New Orleans Magazine as a “Person to Watch.” In 2009, Perry was named as one of Gambit Weekly’s “40 under 40”. In October of 2011, NBC Affiliate, WDSU Channel 6 aired the award winning documentary, “Close Ties: Tying on a New Tradition,” which features Dr. Perry and Wilbert “Chill” Wilson’s efforts to prevent criminal activity among at-risk youth. In 2012, Dr. Perry was named team lead for Orleans PLACE MATTERS, a national project of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.